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I ARE

  • 28-09-2010 11:49am
    #1
    metrovelvet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,376 ✭✭✭


    Ok my three year old is learning English and he is getting very good at it. But I have a little difficulty sometimes because his take on language is so logical.

    So I will ask him 'Are you hungry?" And he will say "Yes I are."

    I don't know how to correct him so he understands. If I say 'Yes I am" he doesn't think I'm correcting him, he thinks I'm saying I am hungry too.


Comments

  • #2
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    metrovelvet wrote: »
    Ok my three year old is learning English and he is getting very good at it. But I have a little difficulty sometimes because his take on language is so logical.

    So I will ask him 'Are you hungry?" And he will say "Yes I are."

    I don't know how to correct him so he understands. If I say 'Yes I am" he doesn't think I'm correcting him, he thinks I'm saying I am hungry too.

    Is he a foreigner?


  • #3
    metrovelvet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,376 ✭✭✭metrovelvet


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    Is he a foreigner?

    Sort of. American born. Lived here since infancy. English is first language though, if that is what you are asking.


  • #4
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,739 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    He'll pick up the correct way by hearing it. If you want to accelerate it, just start making sentences that begin with "I am" and get him to join in.

    That's maybe a parenting forum response... if you want to explain the ins and outs of conjugation, give it a try. He might appreciate the effort to explain the mechanics of language to him. They can understand some pretty complex stuff at that age, I've found. I suspect he knows full well that he should say "I am" but is imposing his own rule. The thing not to do, I find, is insist that he's wrong and he has to do it your way.


  • #5
    Earthhorse
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,716 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    If you're concerned about him picking up the correct usage then don't worry, he will in time, just like we all done.


  • #6
    The Raven.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,008 ✭✭✭The Raven.


    Earthhorse wrote: »
    If you're concerned about him picking up the correct usage then don't worry, he will in time, just like we all done.

    '... just like we all done.' :confused:???


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  • #7
    Enkidu
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,005 ✭✭✭Enkidu


    The Raven. wrote: »
    '... just like we all done.' :confused:???
    Why am you being so pedantic?!


  • #8
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    metrovelvet wrote: »
    Sort of. American born. Lived here since infancy. English is first language though, if that is what you are asking.

    Yeah, just wondering why you didn't say 'learning to talk'

    I never met anyone yet in an English speaking country who said their baby was learning English.

    But hey, whatever floats your boat.


  • #9
    Dunjohn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,345 ✭✭✭Dunjohn


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    Yeah, just wondering why you didn't say 'learning to talk'

    I never met anyone yet in an English speaking country who said their baby was learning English.

    But hey, whatever floats your boat.

    21st Century Ireland!


  • #10
    metrovelvet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,376 ✭✭✭metrovelvet


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    Yeah, just wondering why you didn't say 'learning to talk'

    I never met anyone yet in an English speaking country who said their baby was learning English.

    But hey, whatever floats your boat.

    Well isn't he?

    I can see why you thought I was talking about a b lingual child.


  • #11
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,096 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    He's three, he's learning, playing and experimenting. Don't panic, if you speak good English, he will pick it up. Don't try and give him formal lessons at this stage, it's not necessary and there are more interesting things you could be doing with him.


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  • #12
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    Dunjohn wrote: »
    21st Century Ireland!

    Yes, I hear you big dog:D. I get the inference and well observed too.

    But jaysus, I would say most people in this country say their baby is learning to talk, rather than to speak English.


  • #13
    The Raven.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,008 ✭✭✭The Raven.


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    Yeah, just wondering why you didn't say 'learning to talk'

    I never met anyone yet in an English speaking country who said their baby was learning English.

    But hey, whatever floats your boat.

    I was wondering about that also. I have only heard parents, whose first language is English, saying that their child is 'learning to talk'.


  • #14
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    The Raven. wrote: »
    I was wondering about that also. I have only heard parents, whose first language is English, saying that their child is 'learning to talk'.
    Takes all kinds I suppose, but hey, I guess you and i will have to move into the 21st century, where babies in and English speaking country learn to speak English.


    :cool:


  • #15
    deman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭deman


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    Takes all kinds I suppose, but hey, I guess you and i will have to move into the 21st century, where babies in and English speaking country learn to speak English.
    :cool:

    I agree FB as my kids have all been brought up bilingual with English as their second language and I wouldn't say that they learned English. They learned to talk. It just so happened that it was Finnish and English that they heard and communicated with.

    When I read the OP, I also thought that the OP was a foreigner and the kid was learning a new additional language.


  • #16
    metrovelvet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,376 ✭✭✭metrovelvet


    You guys are getting way hung up on a casual turn of phrase. Let it go.


  • #17
    MathsManiac
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,595 ✭✭✭MathsManiac


    metrovelvet wrote: »
    You guys are getting way hung up on a casual turn of phrase. Let it go.

    Seems to me that getting way hung up on casual turns of phrase is pretty much what this forum is all about!


  • #18
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    'Hung up' is a tad off the mark there son.

    'Interested' I would prefer, where people who have an interest in properly spoken English can discuss and discourse their ideas and theories.

    It only works though,if people accept validly put points with good grace, and not bridle up and get a bit hissy when someone points out some unusual sentence construction and way of writing, and start taking it personally.

    I think that's how it works anyway:cool:


  • #19
    tbh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    metrovelvet wrote: »
    Ok my three year old is learning English and he is getting very good at it. But I have a little difficulty sometimes because his take on language is so logical.

    So I will ask him 'Are you hungry?" And he will say "Yes I are."

    I don't know how to correct him so he understands. If I say 'Yes I am" he doesn't think I'm correcting him, he thinks I'm saying I am hungry too.

    it shows how intelligent your child is. Nobody has ever said the phrase "yes I are" to him (presumably!) so he heard the question and formulated the answer according to logic, not rote. Also, I'm pretty sure you've never sat the child down and explained how to answer questions by reversing them - if someone says "have you your food" you reply "yes I have" - it's something he worked out for himself. It's just the irregularities of the English language that caught him out, and in time he will learn those by rote, and then he'll talk proper like what we do.
    Pretty impressive for a three year old!


  • #20
    biko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,220 ✭✭✭✭biko


    He'll pick it up from others. Hopefully he won't start saying "I is ..."


  • #21
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    Even worse... I done..... or I seen... major scanger attributes in this posters opinion.


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  • #22
    metrovelvet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,376 ✭✭✭metrovelvet


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    Even worse... I done..... or I seen... major scanger attributes in this posters opinion.

    We dont speak Ebonics. Word up.


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